A workshop designed to equip managers to support employee mental wellbeing in the workplace is set to take place this April.
The ‘Mental Health for Managers’ course, run by The Engaging People Company and Bamboo Mental Health, will take place on Thursday 19th April at Open in Norwich.
Through the workshop, which builds on the success of an earlier session in 2016, attendees will be able to identify and recognise the signs of poor mental health, and understand the impact of mental wellbeing within the work environment.
Michelle Gant, Director of The Engaging People Company said:
“Managers have an absolutely critical role in supporting and promoting wellbeing within the workplace but conversations about mental health can be daunting.
“By the end of this course, attendees will feel confident to have better conversations with their direct reports, leading to improved manager-employee relationships, better wellbeing and, ultimately, increased engagement and satisfaction.”
Attendees will also be empowered to have safe and effective conversations around mental health, and identify the support they can offer. The session will also look at legislation, and how to build a practical wellbeing support plan.
Tom Oxley, Director of Bamboo Mental Health said: “Companies who want to make a difference will train their managers. It’s an effective way of putting support through the organisation and reaching those who need it. Managers who leave the course will be confident to take on those complex conversations – to help their team and the employer.”
The course is suitable for small and large employers from all sectors and feedback from the previous session included: ‘The workshop was excellent, and I came away feeling empowered.’
Visit here to find out more or contact Michelle Gant on 07834 578872.
Now in its 12th year, the annual tourism and leisure business survey asks all business from the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector to join forces and take part.
The tourism and leisure business survey was launched today by chartered accountants and business advisers, Larking Gowen and is supported by organisations such as Visit East Anglia, Visit Norfolk and Visit Suffolk.
All businesses in the tourism, hospitality and leisure sector including restaurants, hotels, tourist attractions as well as retailers in the tourism hotspots are being encouraged to participate in the independent survey.
The sector is the largest in East Anglia and one of the biggest employers and estimated to be worth around £10BM to the East Anglian economy. Participants have the opportunity to fill in the questionnaire and gauge their achievements, they can also receive a tailored report which analyses their yearly performance and gives them a valuable benchmarking planning tool.
Those who fill in the 15 minute survey remain anonymous in the published report which provides an annual snapshot of the sector across East Anglia. The survey includes questions about the short and long term impact of things like Brexit, the National Living Wage (NLW), the National Minimum Wage (NMW) and delves into questions around, wellbeing, profit margins and more generally how businesses have performed in the last year.
The survey is published as an annual brochure and includes features and news stories about participating businesses who have chosen to publicise their successes.
The Larking Gowen summer snapshot survey indicated that the vast majority of businesses had performed better over the summer of 2017 than during the same period in 2016. This was great news as it highlighted that visitors to our region are not so worried about the weather. We also know in recent publicity that the last quarter of 2017 many tourism, hospitality and leisure businesses reported growth in the shoulder months of September through to December, with 2017 ending strong for many, as families were keen to escape the stress of the festivities and opt to holiday within East Anglia with increased of 28% on the previous year for some businesses.
Many of the businesses that provide services to this sector fully support the annual survey and this year the survey is sponsored by Adnams, Camplings, Howes Percival and Hugh J Boswell.
Ambassadors of the survey include; Martin Dupee, Chairman Norfolk and Suffolk Tourism Attractions Association; Greg Munford Chairman of Boards Tourism; Tarnia Robertson, Managing Director Ufford Park;
Suffolk-based cloud-IT and workplace recovery experts Corbel have chosen fellow Future50 business Full Mix Marketing to help realise their growth ambitions for 2018.
Following a rigorous selection process, the specialists in ensuring business continuity picked Full Mix Marketing from a shortlist of agencies to develop and deliver a new strategic marketing plan.
“We’re excited to be working with a fellow Future50 business” states Paul Lough, Managing Director of Corbel. “We have a service that can provide so many businesses with peace-of-mind. After consultation with several companies, we felt Full Mix Marketing really understood our company, where we want to be and how to help us get there.”
Corbel are a leading provider of IT and telephone services, specialising in cloud hosting, data back-up and disaster recovery. 2017 saw them open their third workspace recovery office suite in which businesses can continue to work should their premises be compromised by unforeseen circumstances or threats.
“We’re delighted to have been chosen by Corbel over some tough competition” says Sarah West, Managing Director of Norwich marketing agency, Full Mix Marketing. “Like us, they’re ambitious, innovative and deliver something which businesses really value. We’re keen to help them become the go-to name for reliable IT and ensuring its business-as-usual for their clients, whatever happens.”
Full Mix Marketing provide all the strategic, digital and offline marketing businesses need to grow, ranging from single elements like advertising and social media, through to becoming a company’s fully outsourced marketing department.
“Marketing is such a fundamental part of any business these days” adds Paul Lough. “With brand, digital, design, print, events and social media, it’s vital to get it all right. We’re looking forward to Full Mix Marketing delivering the excellently thought-out and targeted strategy they’ve created us.”
In December, both businesses were chosen by publishers Archant, and sponsors including Barclays, Lovewell Blake and Birketts, as members of Future50. The list recognises the boldest and most exciting businesses across all sectors in Norfolk and Suffolk. It is hoped by organisers that those chosen will share expertise and forge working relationships that contribute to mutual growth.
“Being picked for Future50 was an honour for us, a number of our clients and Corbel” concludes Sarah West. “It simply demonstrates the drive everyone has to innovate and succeed. We intend to let Corbel focus on the excellent service they provide, whilst our marketing delivers the opportunities they deserve.”
More info can be found at www.corbel.co.uk or by calling 01473 241515. For more information about Full Mix Marketing visit www.fullmixmarketing.co.uk or call 01603 446227.
Norfolk data centre experts MIGSOLV have chosen East Anglia’s Children’s Hospices (EACH) as their featured charity for 2018.
MIGSOLV, who deliver the world-class Gatehouse centre in Norwich, aim to help EACH raise their profile and funds towards their Nook Appeal.
‘We all hope we never need a charity like EACH. But for critically ill children and their families, it’s impossible to overestimate the importance of what they do’ says David Manning, Managing Director of MIGSOLV. ‘As many of the MIGSOLV staff are parents, it was a unanimous decision to support them however we can.’
EACH supports children and young people with life-threatening conditions across Norfolk, Suffolk, Cambridgeshire and Essex. They deliver care both in the family home and in EACH’s hospices in Milton in Cambridgeshire, The Treehouse in Ipswich and Quidenham in Norfolk.
The hospices are friendly and welcoming places, supporting children and families at a very difficult and anxious time. The staff don’t wear uniforms and everyone is encouraged to regard the hospice as their home-from-home.
EACH’s Nook appeal is currently looking to raise £10 million for a new facility in the heart of Norfolk to replace the aging Quidenham hospice. EACH have many fund-raising activities planned in 2018, including their annual ‘Ride-for-life’ 200-mile sponsored cycle ride in July.
‘In our small way, hopefully we can increase awareness and funding for this very important local charity’ concludes David. ‘I’d recommend other businesses become involved too, as it’s an easy and rewarding way to help the charity raise its profile and money.’
MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre in Norwich is the region’s only purpose-built commercial data centre, providing space, power, cooling and physical security for organisation’s computer servers and IT equipment. Renovated at a cost of £12 million in 2012, it helps businesses increase their resilience by protecting their data against threats including terrorism, power failure and extreme weather.
Norwich Airport has unveiled one of its busiest ever schedules with publication of the latest edition of its Norwich Connects Magazine. With more than 30 destinations of offer this year, the magazine includes full listings of all the airport’s scheduled services, charters and seasonal specials available in 2018. Highlights include a range of new short breaks to destinations such as Iceland, Malta and Gibraltar, a weekly summer service to Crete and the welcome return of flights to Dalaman in Turkey. The magazine was unveiled at the airport’s annual Travel Show at the weekend, which is now in its ninth year and featured 20 trade stands in the terminal building. Richard Pace, Managing Director of Norwich Airport, said: “We’re unveiling one of our busiest ever schedules for 2018 and we’re delighted to be offering people so much choice from their local airport. “In additional to our well established scheduled and package holiday offerings we have a new series of fantastic short breaks, year-round sunshine destinations, and of course even more onward connections via Manchester and Amsterdam. “This year’s Travel Show was one of our best ever and we had our highest number of bookings since 2012. People are surprised at just where flying from Norwich Airport can take you – the world really is accessible from your doorstep.” Copies of Norwich Connects magazine, which includes a handy destination guide so people can see at a glance the range of options on offer, are available from the airport, or can be downloaded here. Norwich Airport is part of Regional & City Airports, the airports management division of Rigby Group plc.
Every Business Owns Intellectual Property, What Do You Own? is the title of a business event taking place in Norwich on Wednesday 28th February, arranged and hosted by GENIX Business Support. Intellectual property (IP) will account for a large part of the value of many businesses and yet often, the owners haven’t given it a moment’s thought.
The conference will cover the four main areas of intellectual property; trademarks, designs, copyright and patents and will explain how to protect intellectual property rights. The interactive session will draw on examples and provide delegates with a clear understanding of what they need to consider for their business.
The keynote speaker will be, Gary Townley, from the Intellectual Property Office.
Leanne Castle from GENIX said, “We are pleased to be hosting this conference to help businesses know what images and designs are protected by copyright. In a recent survey 74% of businesses were unsure who owned the intellectual property rights to their website, logo, artwork and photographs. “There will be plenty of opportunity during the session for delegates to ask questions and to network during the coffee break.”
The three hour conference is sponsored by i101 Digital, supported byas the Business & IP Centre Norfolk in the ‘Norfolk & Norwich Millennium Library. Tickets cost £12 per person.
For more information and to book tickets go to www.genix.org.uk or call 0800 096 3013
Work to build a landmark headquarters for a major energy sector employer at Great Yarmouth’s Beacon Park has reached a key milestone today as the company’s logo is fixed onto the building.
Great Yarmouth Borough Council is developing a new Great Yarmouth base for Proserv to rent on a prominent site at the park, a growing hub for the energy sector which is owned by the borough council and part of a top-performing Enterprise Zone.
Construction of Artemis House has progressed well since ground was broken in June, with Proserv set to move in during spring. Today saw representatives of the council, Proserv, New Anglia LEP and contractor Morgan Sindall go up on a scissor lift to witness the fixing of the final letter of the external Proserv badge onto the building.
One of the largest commercial buildings in terms of floorspace ever constructed in Great Yarmouth, Artemis House will enable Proserv to consolidate and grow its Great Yarmouth operation under one roof. Proserv currently employs about 190 staff at two sites in Great Yarmouth, most of whom already live within 10 minutes of Beacon Park.
The landmark facility, flanking the A47/A143 link road, will serve as Proserv’s global centre of excellence for control systems and services for the offshore energy market, comprising 65,000sq ft of modern office and production floorspace.
The council has invested £4.5m in the development, with an additional £1.5m coming from New Anglia LEP’s Growing Places Fund. Proserv is contributing up to £2m towards the fit-out and will be taking a 20-year lease on completion.
In a joint statement, the council’s political group leaders, Cllr Graham Plant, Cllr Trevor Wainwright, Cllr Chris Walch, and Cllr Adrian Myers, said: “Construction on Artemis House has progressed well and it is now very visible on Beacon Park and from the link road. This milestone is a reminder that in a few short weeks the building will be a busy workplace for nearly 200 staff: a clear symbol of this council’s close work with partners to support jobs and growth.
“This project ensures that those jobs continue to be based within the borough and gives Proserv the capacity to invest and expand further in this purpose-built base, while adding to the council’s important property portfolio that generates significant rental income to help support vital public services.”
Simon Harvey, Head of Operations at Proserv, said: “The construction team have made excellent progress and so I am delighted to say that we remain on schedule for a late March entry date. This marks an exciting chapter for the whole of Proserv as we invest significantly in our future and growth aspirations.
“A lot of consideration has gone into how we create the right space, in terms of both working environment and servicing our customers; something which our staff have been heavily involved in, and so we are looking forward to plans and concepts becoming reality in the coming weeks.”
Chris Starkie, Chief Executive of New Anglia LEP, said: “We’re delighted to see this fantastic new building nearing completion at the heart of our Great Yarmouth and Lowestoft Enterprise Zone.
“The new Economic Strategy for Norfolk and Suffolk underlines our aspiration to be the place where high growth businesses with aspirations choose to be and as such, we’re really pleased to see Proserv committing its support to its local staff and suppliers.”
Attleborough based renewable heating expert Finn Geotherm, has been shortlisted for two top national awards for its district heating installation for housing association Flagship Group.
The Heating & Ventilation News (HVN) Awards 2018 celebrate excellence, forward thinking and the highest achievements across the building services industry. The awards cover the UK’s entire Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC) and building services supply chain, and is open to companies including installers and consultants as well as building owners themselves.
Finn Geotherm’s installation for Flagship Group has been shortlisted for both the District Heating Project of the Year Award and the Renewable Project of the Year Award. The ground source heat pump system is delivering domestic heating and hot water for 30 flats at Orchard Close in Watton, Norfolk. The first domestic heating scheme for communal use in the East of England, it will cut Flagship customers’ heating bills by two thirds, creating annual savings of hundreds of pounds. In addition, it enables Flagship to dramatically reduce its maintenance costs and CO2 emissions. The project is expected to be the first of many for the housing association, with Flagship hoping to roll out other ground source heat pump systems to other customers as part of its plan to create more affordable and environmentally friendly homes.
Guy Ransom, commercial director at Finn Geotherm, said: “We are absolutely delighted to have been shortlisted for two awards in the prestigious HVN Awards scheme, which recognise the country’s most significant heating products and projects. Being placed as a finalist in two categories is both a testament to the forward-thinking strategic approach of Flagship and the hard work and skill of the team at Finn Geotherm in delivering the best possible solution for the organisation and its tenants. We thoroughly enjoyed working together on this project and hope we can soon be celebrating its success together too!”
Matt Smith, Compliance Manager at Flagship, said: “To be shortlisted for these two awards is fantastic news. We have worked hard to get the scheme up and running, so to be recognised in this way is a great achievement for everyone involved. We are continually trying to improve the service we offer our customers while at the same time reduce our carbon footprint, and the system in Watton has allowed us to do both.”
Winners of the HVN Awards will be announced on 19th April 2018 at a black tie event in London.
For more details on the Flagship installation, read the case study here, or click here for information on ground and air source heat pumps and Finn Geotherm.
Warehouses can be very busy places, especially if they operate a cross dock operation where goods are coming in throughout the day and sorted for outgoing distribution or for future storage. With this type of logistics operation, doors are generally open and closed throughout the day. This is when warehouses are likely to see the introduction of birds leading to harbouring and nesting. You need a solution to prevent this happening, especially if you are dealing with product within the food chain.
Over the Christmas period, Abate Pest Management sent a team of technicians to Bretts Transport near Wisbech to proof a warehouse that is used for cross docking to help reduce the risk of the sparrows looking to harbour and nest up close to stored foodstuffs.
The team installed sparrow netting using a framework of steel wire fixings, strainers, clips and guide brackets to hold approximately 2400 square metres of netting. Sparrows can often live within the buildings where they may contaminate products with faecal and nest materials.
The new installed bird solution will help Bretts Transport comply to BRC standards and demonstrate that they are showing a pro-active approach to pest control to prevent the risk of encountering any problems before they arise.
Bretts Transport near Wisbech is a certified in BRC Global standards for storage and distribution. The company is now a nationally recognised name specialising in ambient deliveries to the retail, food service and food manufacturing sectors, typically delivering in excess of 4000 tons of canned food and other grocery products along with 5000 pallets of food grade packaging each week.
If you require any help with bird proofing give Abate a call on 0800 980 9767 or visit their pest control website at https://www.abateltd.co.uk
INSURANCE. A word that excites so few, yet residing on unassuming street in the centre of Norwich sits a team of nearly 70 insurance professionals, all passionate about their industry. This is a business that has existed in the city since 1906, when a young entrepreneur named Hugh Boswell began trading from a small office in London Street. Over a century later, the business remains independently owned, and thanks to decades of organic growth, one of the top 100 brokers in the UK.
“The years have been kind to us,” states Hugh J Boswell Managing Director Peter Foster. “When the existing board bought the business through a management buyout in 2013, it was in a great place. The Directors are dedicated to the idea of creating something special, whilst upholding the foundations on which the business was founded.”
So, what has helped make Hugh J Boswell?
The Culture
One of the factors Peter attributes to the business’ success is the united culture. A quick glimpse at the website, or walk around the office shows how important values are to the people at Hugh J Boswell.
“We identified very early on the importance of culture within a growing organisation. We have taken the philosophies that made our business successful, and placed them into a dynamic framework, to help us develop as a unified team. We now have a mission, and set of values that run through the veins of the entire company”
Training
It sounds like a service sector cliché to say ‘the people are the business’, but within Hugh J Boswell, there’s a feeling this is exactly the case. The commitment to training and development was acknowledged in 2015, when Hugh J Boswell were awarded Chartered Insurance Broker status; an accolade only a handful of brokers in the region can boast.
“Investing in training has meant our clients receive quality service and our people are given career opportunities. Last year, we proudly launched the ‘Hugh J Boswell Academy. Our Academy encompasses everything development-based, including an apprenticeship programme, sponsored professional qualifications and regular soft skills training for all staff”.
Clients
Hugh J Boswell has a vast number of long-standing clients but none that can match RH Matthews. The Holt-based family-run firm have placed their insurance programme with Hugh J Boswell for over 60 years.
“I believe it’s a testament to how we conduct business that a client that has trusted us to protect their business for so long. Our independence and emphasis on ‘people’ ensures we really do place our clients’ needs first.”
Forward Vision
Whilst the company is rightly proud of its history and heritage Hugh J Boswell has a clear vision and solid plans for continued growth. Peter says “We are never ones for standing still and believe that our future is bright indeed. Through commitment to our clients and investment in staff we are delighted that we continue to grow and have confidence in the years ahead.”
The Eastern region’s only world-class commercial data centre has been chosen as one of the 50 most exciting and promising businesses in Norfolk and Suffolk to watch over coming years.
Norwich-based MIGSOLV have joined the Future50 list of bold and bright businesses chosen by local publishers Archant and sponsors including Barclays, the UEA and Lovewell Blake.
“This is great recognition for our whole team” says David Manning, MIGSOLV’s Managing Director. “They’ve worked hard to deliver a first-class service, allowing our customers to achieve their own goals, whilst we protect their data. It’s a well-deserve accolade for everyone.”
MIGSOLV’s Gatehouse data centre in Norwich is the region’s only purpose-built commercial data centre, providing space, power, cooling and physical security for organisation’s computer servers and IT equipment. Renovated at a cost of £12 million in 2012, it helps businesses increase their resilience by protecting their data against threats including terrorism, power failure and extreme weather.
The Future50 list details companies large and small who stand out as the most innovative and ambitious in the region. Those on the list will gain access to business support and become part of an exclusive group of businesses aiming to help each other succeed. MIGSOLV joins a number of digital and creative businesses demonstrating the growing technology sector in Norwich and Norfolk.
“As well as technology businesses, our region is home to companies of all types simply using IT to do what they do better” adds David. “We give their data the safest and most flexible home whilst they get on with being successful and contributing to the local economy.”
Primarily used for colocation, the data centre is home to computer servers and hardware owned by businesses themselves. As part of MIGSOLV’s 2018 plans, they are looking to launch a range of managed services providing ‘pay-as-you-go’ data storage so smaller businesses can protect and grow their data with ease.
“Future50 is a great opportunity to gain exposure and showcase what businesses in the East can do” concludes David. “As our role is to protect business’s critical data, we’re looking forward to helping ambitious businesses both on and outside Future50 to realise their own goals with peace-of-mind.”
All of the team at Tudor Lodge Consultants including our content, Search Engine Optimisation (SEO), design and development teams are pleased to announce our partnership and work with the exciting team at Secured Loans and their website. We are working across their website, lead generation and digital marketing, with a large emphasis being placed upon their SEO and organic search results; targeting new and existing audiences and search traffic for this established website and brand.
Established and set up online in 2001, Secured Loans provides applicants the chance to acquire secured loans against property and other higher value assets at rates starting from as little as 5.25% APR. With hefty amounts of experience in the finance world and offline marketing, Secured Loans saw an opportunity to move into the online space and has been working with our various teams at Tudor Lodge Consultants for the last 6 months.
The Online Challenges Faced
Although the Secured Loans website has been live for over 15 years, having gone live and remained so since 2001, there has been very little work performed on the site and there has been no digital marketing around the brand or its products. Although over the years Google has given increased credence to domains that demonstrate a greater degree of establishment and permanency, algorithms have shifted from being purely technical to focusing on the user journey and experience.
This has left an otherwise successful and exciting brand languishing much lower down Google than it ought to be; with Secured Loans starting from around page 10 for the key term ‘secured loans.’
Lying lowly on Google, we identified a number of issues and outstanding factors that needed addressing for the website and this has included taking into account numerous important SEO ranking factors such as:
· How the site is crawled [read] by Google and other search engines
· How users interact with the site
· The application processes
· Link profiles; both internal and external
· Content opportunities to address effectively
What we Have Done So Far
In the short time we have been working with the team at Secured Loans, we have carried out various crucial SEO actions to be able to ensure the site can rank properly and effectively. Firstly, we attended to the design and layout o f the site, using our talented design and development teams. We overhauled the homepage, landing page templates and contact forms. This has allowed Secured Loans to boast a much-improved look and feel. We have also overhauled and improved the branding on the site, making it much clearer who the brand is, what exactly it does and the brand message required.
We have also paid specific attention to the meta data which is one of the first factors that Google assesses when analysing a site. Through thorough keyword and competitor research, we identified the areas within the secured loans and finance industry where Secured Loans are best suited and where their core services lie. This has lead to their main terms of ‘secured loans’ climbing 4 to 5 pages in the first 6 months alone, which it is continuing to do on a weekly and monthly basis.
Further to the research and competitor analyses, we have also created the templates, designs and content for landing pages for the site. These pages are specifically designed to rank highly on Google and other search engines to capture more relevant users. Upon ‘landing’ on the pages, users are then taken through the ‘funnel’ and their journey, being guided to the end-point; the contact point.
We have also been undertaking a strong, targeted and focused approach with regards to the link profile and online PR of the brand and website, being featured in various well-known online publications and websites to the benefit of the Secured Loans website.
With great progress already made and with many more exciting developments and pieces of content and work to come, we are very excited for the future of Secured Loans and we cant wait to see what 2018 holds in store for this promising and exciting brand and website.